Musings of an American expat in Bulgaria (with detours in Utah and Alaska)

Randomly Me Monday: Volume Three

1) Complete list of concerts I have attended, in order: ‘N sync, Backstreet Boys (twice–AJ was *cough…is* my favorite), Britney Spears, and Harry Connick Jr. (he was awesome). Only one I am truly ashamed of? Britney Spears. Because when it comes down to it, I loved me some Boy Bands growing up and I still love hearing their music to this day.

3) I once got into a verbal fight with a group of teenage girls in a movie theater over a cell phone. Long story short, one of the girls sitting right in front of my kept texting and the light was really bright on her phone. I should insert here that I am a HUGE movie-nazi when it comes to talking/texting/crying babies/etc. I love seeing movies and get really into them and there is NOTHING worse than having it ruined by some obnoxious person. Back to the story… I kindly asked this girl to put her phone away as the light was distracting. She just rolled her eyes at me, as a snotty teenage girl would, and turned back to her snickering friends. I suppose I looked harmless to her. So she proceeded to open up her phone again and start texting. I lost my cool and pulled out my cell phone, leaned over, and shoved it, bright light and all, right into her face and asked her how she liked it. She jumped up and called me outside to fight and I said let’s go! Two of my best friends were with me and calmed me down. Never fail whenever we went to movies after that, one of them would bring it up and we’d all have a good laugh. Moral of the story: don’t mess with me when I’m at the movies!

5) Favorite song as a child: Bette Midler’s Wind Beneath My Wing. I would make my mother call radio stations over and over requesting it.

6) I have some pretty amazing party tricks, if I do say so myself. I can gargle a mean Inspector Gadget theme song, drink through my nose, and name every single country (in their geographic order) in Africa. BOO YEAH!

7) I once tried waxing my eyebrows and ended taking one of them completely off. In an effort to compensate I tweezed the hell out of the other one. I have been trying to grow them back in for years, but to this day they are all kinds of wonky.

8) True story: I have a cousin who went to school with one of Donny Osmond’s nephews. My family went to see my cousin in one of her plays (which Donny’s nephew was also in). This was around the time that he (Donny, not the nephew) was hosting $100,000 Pyramid on TV. So were all seated waiting for the play to start and me and my big mouth (a recurring theme in my life) start cracking jokes about him. How short he is in person, how lame his talk show was with Marie, etc. I was a good 5 minutes into my routine (I’m an amateur comedian, in case you didn’t know… 😉 ) when my mom leans over and whispers in my ear, “You do know he is sitting right behind you, right?” Well, my heart dropped into my stomach and I slowly turned my head and sure enough, there he was, Donny. Freakin’. Osmond. Staring me directly in the eyes with a pretty smug look on his face. I had to sit through a 2 hour play with him (and his family) sitting right behind me. NOT one of my finer moments, but my family still likes to joke about it.

9) I used to NEVER cry in movies. Didn’t matter how sad or touching it was. I was incapable of crying (only in movies, however, not in my daily life where I am a complete baby). Until, one day I was at the theater watching Ever After (love that movie to this day), for the second time, when Danielle (Drew Barrymore) asks the step mom if there were ever a time in her life if she loved her, and the step mom says to Danielle, “How could anyone ever love a pebble in their shoe?” I lost it. Cried and cried. Over that ONE line, in a rather mediocre movie (to most, again I love it). And why I cried when I saw it the second time and not the first? Who knows! Ever since that moment I have lost my shiz over sad/touching/cute/mildly heart-warming movies and TV shows. Take Valentine’s Day for example when I cried my eyes out for most of The Vow.

10) On my first trip to Bulgaria I got stuck in the restroom stall in the Sofia airport. Well, stuck is a relative term here. I am American and our public restroom stall doors typically open inwards. I had finished doing my business and tried opening the door. I kept pulling and pulling. Soon I began to panic. I thought the lock was broken or something and I didn’t know the language so I couldn’t yell for help. Then I hear this sweet little voice saying something in Bulgarian. I ignored it and continued to wrestle with the door. I was about to start crying and the voice just kept talking. Finally, the girl outside the stall pulled the door open and just looked at me like I was insane. I smiled like nothing had even happened and went to wash my hands. I learned that day that many restroom doors in BG open out. My excuse is that I had just landed in Bulgaria after a very long flight and I was super nervous/excited to see Vince for the first time in months, so I suppose I was slightly out of it!

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Have some embarrassing tidbits about yourself? Maybe you have a thing for sexy John Goodman too? Maybe you know me and want to add something you remember? Let me know in the comments or link me to your own similar blog posts!

See you back here next week where I’ll likely embarrass myself further with a list of my favorite movies and books!

Bwa ha ha ha! I really thought we were going to be arrested at the theater! Fun times – junior high always makes me nostalgic. Remember when we were snotty in 9th grade about “new” blood (besides Robyn since she was our friend) came into the Gifted (don’t forget talented!) program. Such wannabes! I still have the Africa song memorized too. Shame on some of those countries for changing the names! Don’t forget Robyn, the ONLY reason we had to see Shrek instead of Black Hawk Down was because SOMEBODY decided to dress like a third grader that day! Love you Whit and I’m glad that I experienced a few of these memories either with you, or I heard about them shortly after!

Oh man. Whiney.. HOW have I never heard these stories before?!? I would literally kill a man to go back in time and see you flip on that broad in the theater.. so funny. Ha ha 😀 #8 & #10 totally cracked me up too!!

I attempted commenting after your Alaska series, but it didn’t go through. I saved it and am giving it another shot.

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Exactly 10 years ago, I had a layover both ways at Juneau and I loved the simple airport back then. It was a very small building, a handful of artifacts adorned the plain walls and there was none of the glitz that typifies modern airports.

I read your labour of love i.e. your posts about your working experience in Alaska. I have no intentions of venturing out there to work; a holiday in the area is not on the cards either. I read through for the same reason I RSSed your blog since your brush with (Freshly Pressed) fame i.e. to get the first person, non-sales angle about a part of the world I know pretty much nothing about.

Suggestion. Do you have an account with the Thorn Tree? If you do, all you have to do is copy and paste your working in Alaska posts as a new one on TT. There are three categories *at least* (Americas – United States of America, Gap Year & Round the World Travel, and Experimental Travel) where your posts can be read and be of use to many more people.

This is the link: http:// www. lonelyplanet. com/thorntree/ index.jspa

I attempted commenting after your Alaska series, but it didn’t go through. I saved it and am giving it another shot.

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Exactly 10 years ago, I had a layover both ways at Juneau and I loved the simple airport back then. It was a very small building, a handful of artifacts adorned the plain walls and there was none of the glitz that typifies modern airports.

I read your labour of love i.e. your posts about your working experience in Alaska. I have no intentions of venturing out there to work; a holiday in the area is not on the cards either. I read through for the same reason I RSSed your blog since your brush with (Freshly Pressed) fame i.e. to get the first person, non-sales angle about a part of the world I know pretty much nothing about.

Suggestion. Do you have an account with the Thorn Tree? If you do, all you have to do is copy and paste your working in Alaska posts as a new one on TT. There are three categories *at least* (Americas – United States of America, Gap Year & Round the World Travel, and Experimental Travel) where your posts can be read and be of use to many more people.

Sorry, Kate! My spam filter goes crazy sometimes and filters out legit comments. I will look into Thorn Tree, I truly want the information I wrote on working in Alaska to help as many people as possible. Thanks for the suggestion!

Really sorry it took me so long to notice that this went to spam. I found dozens of other actual comments in there as well. Must be sure to check it more often!

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Hello there!

I'm Whitney...an American gal married to a Bulgarian gent living an adventurous life outside of little Trapper Creek, Alaska. Here on GMB I write about the good, the bad, and the funny that come along with a life of continued wanderlust. I'm addicted to travel, photography, crafting, eating good food, and spending time with my adorable hubs. All of these topics (and more!) are frequently featured, so...pull up a chair and stay awhile! I would love to get to know you!

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